Charlie Shelton shares his love of the auctioning business, family and his ministry.
By Deby Jo Ferguson
Progress staff writer
Charlie Shelton, 69, was born in Bevard, N.C. the son of John and Louise Shelton.
“I was born in Transylvania County up on Cold Mountain. My family moved to Clay County when I was about 12 years old back in 1967,” Charlie said.
He married Denise Garrett Shelton on Dec. 21, 1974. They have three daughters, Marrisa Peck, Carrisa Daniels and Tessa Sellers. They also have three grandsons and one granddaughter.
“Denise and I were childhood sweethearts and dated throughout high school, then got married when we were still young. I was No. 3 on the lottery draft notice, so we anticipated I was going to be drafted and got married. As it turned out I didn’t get drafted. I have a little statue of Richard Nixon sitting on my desk and when I look at it, I’m reminded he kept me out of Vietnam and compelled me to marry a good woman,” he said.
Charlie has worked at several jobs during his life, from logging to driving a truck across the county.
“Back in the ‘60s there wasn’t no work in Clay County, so when you got out of high school you had three options; go to Atlanta to work, college or Vietnam. In order to allow my family to be raised here I drove an over-road truck and was gone a lot, but Denise was able to stay here and raise the kids. She had a full-time job while I was out trucking and that was taking care of children, but it all worked out for the good,” Charlie said.
After a trucking accident in 1985 Charlie said he tried but was physically unable to continue his trucking career.
“After I was no longer able to drive cross country I went and got my auctioning license at Southeast School of Auctioning. We also started working in real estate for a few years but got out of that. We opened Southern Auction in 2000 and it’s been a lot of fun. I started selling guns and got into the U-Haul business too,” he said.
At present, Charlie is running the auction every other week, rents U-hauls and sells guns at his location.
“As far as the auction goes, I really like the people and the method of selling stuff. Anybody can go to Walmart and spend money, but we can make it fun and hopefully every now and then someone finds a bargain,” Charlie said.
The auction business isn’t all fun and games according to Charlie. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes.
“The hardest part of having an auction is the part no one sees, like picking up the merchandise, getting it ready for the auction and getting it cleaned up to sell. People don’t realize you work two weeks for a three-hour auction. They have no ideal about how much work goes into getting it ready to auction off,” he said.
Charlie says the auction business has also been a great ministry to him.
“My main vocation is pastoring Moss Memorial Baptist Church for the last 42 years and I’d say at least 50 percent of my congregation came from the auction business and I appreciate these folks. I’ve had a lot of health problems over the last few years including battling cancer which is in remission right now. I still get up and come to work every day because it challenges me to do that. It’s been good for me,” Charlie said.
Charlie quoted Romans Chapter 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
“Cancer has given me the opportunity to have empathy with a lot of folks that are going through cancer. Anybody can have sympathy, but you had to have been there yourself to have empathy. It’s allowed me to minister to some folks that are going through something like what I have went through. Cancer itself can be a blessing. It took me a long time to figure that out though,” Charlie said.
Charlie shared his feelings about his thankfulness for his family and his home.
“I think of myself as being the most fortunate person on the face of the earth. I can see all my kids and grandkids who live here in Clay County. I am the only pastor they have ever known and they are at church every Sunday. I just don’t know how it could get any better than that, I am blessed beyond measure.
“I love the people of Clay County and I believe the people are the biggest asset we have here in our county. We have a lot of good folks here,” Charlie concluded.